A crowd of book lovers filled the LaGrange Memorial Library’s Fackler Room on Friday and Saturday looking for great deals.

The Friends of the LaGrange Memorial Library hosted their semi-annual mega book sale over the weekend, raising $1,850 for library programs.

“Donations have been overwhelming, mostly fiction,” said Kathy Morris, a member of the Friends of the LaGrange Memorial Library.

According to Morris, the semi-annual event was “like Black Friday,” and the sale began with full tables and extra books filling boxes underneath each table. By Saturday afternoon, most of those boxes were empty, and the funds raised will make possible future community events and fund some of the library’s needs.

“It all goes to the library’s programs — summer reading, manga, anime, author talks, staff training and development — we pay for that,” Morris said.

“We pay for My Favorite Things from the [LaGrange Symphony Guild]. …Virtually anything the library asked for, we are fortunate to [be able to] say yes because of these sales.”

Because of the high volume of donations, the Friends of the Library also donated some of the children’s books to local groups that will get them into the hands of young readers.

“We have tried to spread the word to literacy groups and church groups that due to the overwhelming number of children’s books, anyone who can use them may come Monday morning while we are packing up, and if they can use them, they can take them,” Morris said on Saturday.

The Friends of the LaGrange Memorial Library plans to host its next mega-sale in May. The penny paperback sale will be on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The group’s regular book store hours are Fridays 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. The free book table will continue to be offered anytime the library is open.